Morbid fascination
by Amorficus
Summary: What was this.. woman doing to him? The emotions she had let loose in him were volatile, confusing and.. crippling. He wanted nothing to do with them, or her. He tightened his grip on her neck and narrowed his eyes, "Come near me again and I'll kill you." He sneered. / Feitan x OC & slight AU & Rated M for various explicit themes.
1. Prologue: Square One

**_Disclaimer._** All characters and general content belong to Togashi Yoshihiro, although I do claim ownership for my OC, Rin, and all other noncanon locations(which there will be a lot of), fights and characters I may end up creating. This fanfiction will be rated M for violence, gore and many other explicit scenes I will more than likely produce from my deranged mind.  
 **You have been warned**.

This fanfiction will take place after Greed Island arc, through Chimera Ant arc and then rest is my own creation. I might end up going OOC with certain characters due to lack of information of their pasts and personalities. I have also dropped the idea of using Feitan's original form of speech, as it would make it increasingly hard for me to 'move' him.  
Please review to let me know your opinions c:

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 **Chapter one**  
 _Prologue: Square One_

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There was only a single flickering lightbulb hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room. The cable connecting the bulb and the ceiling was thin and battered, making it easy for the frosty breeze to sway the thin glass bauble. Eerie shadows created by the dim, blinking light provided the perfect canvas for the masterpiece on the floor below. It was painted a mesmerizing shade of red, covering the whole length and breadth of the floor, stretching onto the white concrete walls in irregular, artistic splatters. In the middle of the floor lay a deeper, thicker pool of red, fragments of white and the head of Abengane. His mouth was slightly ajar with a thin ribbon of blood trickling down his chin and his eyes were open wide in horror, staring eternally into nothingness. The room was uncannily silent, the only sound belonging to the quiet, moaning wind, which blew inside through the broken windows. Yet, though it was silent in the room, it was far from empty. Three figures stood in the doorway, taking in the scene before them, seemingly apathetic. The only thing betraying their disinterest, was the heavy, suffocating aura of palpable anger, which rolled off of them in waves.

"I guess this explains why we couldn't get in touch with him."

"Shut it, Shalnark." An angry growl came.

Shalnark sent his partner an apologetic smile, although it didn't reach his eyes – for quite obvious reasons. The situation was far from joyous, so he refrained from further comments as they would just aggravate his comrade further, which in return would most likely end in several unwanted bruises. Phinks could be rather volatile when angered and right now, he was furious.

Their third companion had been silent until now, grouching over the puddle of blood and seemingly spaced out while his finger played with the thick, velvety liquid pooled at his feet. His eyes crinkled slightly from a smile hidden by the bandana he donned over his mouth, he then let out a small huff as he stood and faced the other men in the room, while flicking his finger clean from the fluid. They regarded each other quietly and then, as if coming to the same conclusion, they begun making their way out of the room, seeing that there was nothing left for them in that blood-soaked cubicle.

They walked in relative silence for quite some time, passing identical, cheap looking hovels made of clay, sand and in better cases wood. The area was practically a slum for the homeless and criminals. There was no electricity here and water was scarce, since the only source was a single, miserable well in the middle of the so called town. It also lacked a proper, functioning sewage system, which resulted in many unsavory odors. The place was absolutely rancid.

"This place is a lot emptier than the last time we were here." Shalnark commented while scanning the surroundings, barely finding any signs of life. The whole place appeared to be deserted or more likely, savagely killed.

"Our contact was probably not the only one who met his end." A quiet, cold murmur was heard, following Shalnark's line of thought.

"Tch." Phinks let out an angry sigh. "Now we are back to square one. Some good that prediction was." He ground out.

Shalnark, ever the positive one, piped up. "It's a pity we lost this one, but he isn't the only nen-exorcist around. There isn't many of them, but I'm sure we could manage to locate one, who would be.. willing to help us." He said cheerfully, a flash of malice passing through his eyes.

Phinx quirked and eyebrow. "So where to? Got any leads?"

However Shalnark didn't have an answer for him right off the bat and remained silent, thinking. They fell into a quiet walk once more, slowly reaching the edge of the empty town. After passing the last pathetic excuse for a house, they entered an endless, desert-like wasteland that reached as far as their eyes could see. Desert-like for a reason – the sand crunching under their feet was morbidly black, as if it were ash. At first sight even life seemed to be impossible in this deathly land, but if you knew where to look, you could find most wondrous flora and fauna. Nonetheless, it was a huge contrast compared to the other side of the city, which was bordered by a larger-than-life mountain dressed in lush, green pine trees.

"You got something, Fei?" Phinks asked, when he noticed the other had stopped. Shalnark also came to a halt and turned to look at Feitan questioningly.

"Savant." Feitan said mutedly, face expressionless.

Phinks just stared at his comrade blankly. That word told him next to nothing, so he turned to Shalnark, expecting a similar reaction. His expression, however, was contemplative.

"Enlighten me Shal, cause I'm not following."

"Not surpising, your brain is as useful as a sack o-" His sentence was cut off as a rock flew at his face and he was forced to dodge. He sent a goofy smile to a now miffed Phinx, who's eye twitched slightly.

"Continue." He dared the blonde, as he flicked another rock up in the air and caught it effortlessly.

"Hahaha." He laughed, innocently and returned to the precious topic. "Anyway. Savant." He flicked out his phone and opened the browser. "There's actually very little information on her."

Phinks raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, it's a woman. In any case, she's eluded the public eye as well as we have, there's nearly no records on her, making her exceedingly difficult to find."

"So who is she? Why would she be of any use to us?" Phinks asked, growing annoyed since he wasn't getting the point.

"She's an information gatherer, thief." Feitan said, corners of his mouth curled slightly upwards at the sight of his dense comrade.

"It's as Feitan said. Rumor has it, that she pretty much knows everything of everything, and what she doesn't know, she will find out." Shalnark cited, tapping on his phone. "But as I said before, there's next to no information on _her_. The only facts people have agreed on about her, are that she's a female with white hair." He chuckled. "Some claim her to be an old, bumbling hag, whilst others say it's a child. They don't even know her name, thus the alias, Savant."

"And how are we supposed to find such an elusive person? There's nothing to go about." Phinks rambled irritably while running his hand through his hair.

"She was spotted in Swaldani City. Couple of Hunters were talking about 'acquiring' her." Feitan hinted, smiling cruelly.

"Well then," Phinks smirked, turning towards the direction of the aforementioned city, "guess we better go and 'acquire' her first then."

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 ** _To be continued._**


	2. Hunted

**_Disclaimer._** All characters and general content belong to Togashi Yoshihiro, although I do claim ownership for my OC, Rin, and all other noncanon locations(which there will be a lot of), fights and characters I may end up creating. This fanfiction will be rated M for violence, gore and many other explicit scenes I will more than likely produce from my deranged mind.  
 **You have been warned**.

Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review c:

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 **Chapter two**  
 _Hunted_

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Swaldani City was like any other metropolis. A lot of people, countless things to do, endless opportunities, sky-high buildings and even higher crime rate. On the surface the city seemed like the safest place in the world with the Hunter HQ right in the middle of it, shining radiantly over the expanse of the city like a brothel in the red light district for a lonely, middle-aged man. Wherever you were in the city, you could see the enormous building giving you the false feeling of security. In truth, however, there's as much crime in Swaldani City as there is in, for example, Yorknew City, the only difference being the covertness of said crimes.

Nonetheless, the denizens of the city were blissfully ignorant and went about their merry ways. They were constantly bustling about, getting to work, coming from work, participating in the exciting night life, because let's be honest here, metropolitan night life was more colorful than a midsummer butterfly. There was _always_ something to do. Especially on a few glasses of booze.

And that's exactly what she was missing right now. She had been hiding her trail for the past three hours, running around in zigzags, trying to lose the pursuers and ultimately exhausting herself. The Hunters were a persistent lot, and not in the charming kind of way. She sighed internally and slumped against the wall behind her, releasing her En to check her surroundings. After making sure that it was relatively safe, she stepped out into the masses to blend in. She swiftly stole a cloak from a nearby vendor, covered her distinct hair and walked away as if nothing happened. She still had things to do and places to be, so the booze had to wait, unfortunately.

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"Finally the city is in sight." Phinks grumbled.

Shalnark looked at his comrade, amused. "Phinks is whining like a woman."

"He is being pretty feminine." Feitan supplied with a goofy grin on his face.

"You two.." Phinks ground out and tried to aim a few punches at his partners, which were evaded, "Piss me off!"

Their bickering ceased as they entered the metropolis and they slowed into a casual walk to stay inconspicuous. The suburbs weren't exceedingly populated and most of the folk seemed to be of the shady kind, making them blend in rather nicely. The buildings passed in a blur, growing in height as they closed in on the center. Shalnark suddenly motioned to his two other companions and they made a sharp turn left, entering a narrow, dreary alleyway. The passage was dirty, lined with moldy cardboard boxes and overflowing trashcans, where crows picked at their dinner.

Phinks raised an eyebrow and was just about to comment, but Shalnark cut him off.

"We should stay off the main road now that we are almost out of the suburbs. I doubt anyone will recognize us, but this place **is** the city of Hunters, with the HQ being here and all. Doesn't hurt to be cautious."

"How should we go about finding that woman? This place isn't exactly small." Phinks pointed out.

"If she is still in town, she must've left a trace somewhere. She wouldn't enter a place with so many eyes for no reason, there must be something of her interest here." Shalnark explained.

"She operates like us – she steals. There must be someone missing something, or will be soon."

Shalnark nodded at Feitan's input. "We will split up; we cover more ground that way. Meet up again here in an hour."

They looked at each other briefly and a moment later the passage was completely empty, save for the few crows picking at a rotten tomato.

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"I got nothing." Phinks said as he threw his hands up and yawned. He leaned against the filthy wall and looked at Shalnark. "Any luck?"

"I hacked into the local police databases and checked if anything has been reported missing or stolen, yet I came back empty handed. No reports of such have been made." Shalnark frowned. "While I scouted the center I heard mentions of a white-haired girl. It was probably her, since white is a rather uncommon color. I managed to get a vague description of her, but nothing more substantial since the last sighting was yesterday." A hint of frustration passed through his usually goofy face.

"So, where's Feitan?" He asked, finally noting the absence of their third comrade.

"Good question. He's never late. Let's look for him, maybe he found something."

Phinks pushed himself away from the wall and jumped up on the roof with ease, Shalnark following closely behind. Since the sun went down it was easier for them to move about without being spotted. They jumped from roof to roof, small breeze coupled with a few droplets of rain licking at their faces. Soon those few droplets became a complete downpour, effectively obstructing their vision and soaking them to the bone. Since their visibility was impaired by the darkness and sudden rainfall, they began tracking with their senses, trying to pick up traces of Feitan's nen. After ten or so minutes of perpetual jumping, landing, running on the slippery rooftops and listening to Phinks' mood souring minute by minute they finally located Feitan. They found him at the edge of the town in a clearing surrounded by rather run-down, empty warehouses. They landed softly behind the man and walked soundlessly next to him.

"Hey, Fei!" Phinks addressed him. "Did your brain shut down? What are you doing here, staring into space and getting all of us soaked." He growled. He looked at Feitan only to find his eyes glinting and the corners of his mouth curled upwards into a _very_ appreciative smirk. He then followed Fei's line of sight and finally took in the view before them. There clearly had been a battle here, or, from the looks of it, more like a one-sided slaughter. Five corpses were scattered at the expanse of the clearing. They were distinctly male with their gruff, muscled bodies, but what was most surprising was the fact, that they were all Hunters.

Phinks whistled at the sight, an amused smirk gracing his face. "Well this is a sight for sore eyes. No wonder Fei is nearly giddy with glee."

Shalnark moved closer to the nearest body, inspecting it. There was only a single wound on this specific body which was a deep gash under the armpit. The wound was still oozing out blood, running down the side of the man onto the wet ground, where it mixed with the muddy water.

"The body is still warm." Shalnark said. "She must have not gone far yet, if we hurry, we should be able to track her down." He glanced at Phinks and Feitan, conveying his intention to hurry. Feitan stood up from another body he had been examining with something akin to a pout, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared.

"The trail is fresh, let's make haste so we don't lose it." Shalnark added, as they broke into a run, following the tiny remnants of nen. "She's probably using Zetsu by now, but we have the general direction where she is heading. We're lucky Feitan found the site when he did."

"She knows the human body well." Feitan said after a slight pause, small smirk playing on his lips as they rushed by several unused buildings.

The other two looked at him questioningly.

"She knows exactly where to inflict damage for the maximum result." He elaborated. "On the first body we found, she had slashed through the axillary artery, and on the body I examined she had done in the cervical spine. Those were the only wounds, meaning she explicitly aimed there." He giggled malevolently.

"Granted, those Hunters were total amateurs, but she does seem quite capable." Phinks chuckled as he jumped over a particularly high brick wall with ease.

They sped through the outskirts of the city soundlessly. The slight rustle of leaves and the irregular drizzle of rain made more sound than their muted footsteps, clear indication of their skill. They made several sharp turns, zigzagging between shady buildings all the while keeping their pace steadily fast. They came to a sudden stop in front of a particularly shady dwelling. Judging by the partially broken, blinking sign secured above the door it seemed to be a cheap hostel. Or a brothel, considering the part of the town they were at.

"The presence is stronger here." Feitan glanced at the shabby shack, scrunching his nose as he felt the excessive amounts of perfume wafting towards him. You could see numerous intoxicated figures sloppily dancing through the dirty windows, that were vibrating from the awful, blaring noise some people called music. The place looked disgusting.

"The trail is still ongoing, she must've just lingered here.. for reasons." Phinks wriggled his eyebrows.

"Let's go." Feitan urged, wanting to be away from the foul stench surrounding them.

They wordlessly picked up the pace once more, pushing forward as they passed the city's gates and slowly left the metropolis behind. The excitement was slowly starting to fill the air between them, until it was almost touchable. They knew they were slowly, but surely closing in on their target and the anticipation of the confrontation gave them a sadistic thrill.

Feitan's eyes crinkled as his lips curled into a bloodthirsty grin. "I rather _do_ hope she resists."

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 ** _To be continued._**


	3. First Impressions

**_Disclaimer._** All characters and general content belong to Togashi Yoshihiro, although I do claim ownership for my OC, Rin, and all other noncanon locations(which there will be a lot of), fights and characters I may end up creating. This fanfiction will be rated M for violence, gore and many other explicit scenes I will more than likely produce from my deranged mind.  
 **You have been warned**.

Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review c:

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 **Chapter three**  
 _First Impressions_

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Her lungs were ablaze. They were burning as if someone forced burning coal down her throat and choked her as they did. She let out another puff of air as she sprinted through the vast plains of a nameless land. It had been a good several hours since she bolted from Swaldani City and it was no longer visible in the distance if she chose to look back. She didn't. The metropolis had been nothing but trouble, but that was not uncommon. Trouble tended to follow closely on her trail, although most of it was self-inflicted.

She let out a sigh, coming out as an exhausted whiff. She almost regretted going there, considering all the unnecessary inconveniences she was forced to go through. _Almost_. She glanced at the bag draped over her shoulder, swaying in the cool, night air as she ran through the open field. A small sheepish smile graced her features at the thought of what the aforementioned parcel contained and, as always, after an accomplished heist she felt that all she suffered through had been _completely, undeniably worth it_.

She felt her reserves running low, slowly dissipating with each push of her feet against the grassy surface. She was pretty much running on willpower alone now and she was feeling it. It wouldn't be long until her legs gave out on her, the rest of her body following suit closely behind. She scanned the area, her brows furrowing in concentration as she tried to keep her vision sharp. She heard it before she saw it – a small stream of water cradled by sharp rocks with an old apple tree bowing its head over it. It wasn't exactly secluded; she was, after all, in a vast field, but the grass was tall enough so she wouldn't be spotted unless someone was specifically looking. And there was food(apples) and water. A bonus.

She dragged her sluggish body to the stream and let herself collapse into a sitting position. She gingerly cupped the water and brought it to her mouth, savoring the delicious liquid. After drinking her fill, she leaned back on her arms, throwing her head back slightly and stared at the sky. She stayed there for a while, listening to the sweet lulling of nature until her loudly thumping heart and tense muscles started to somewhat relax.

Once her body started to calm, however, she felt a shiver go down her spine resulting in goosebumps all over. She clamped her mouth shut to prevent the clatter of her teeth. It was _cold_. She didn't notice it before, but now that she wasn't on the move she could feel it crawling up her body. It was early spring and although the days were rather warm, the nights tended to be somewhat chilly. She pushed herself up on her shaky legs and padded towards the apple tree. There were several raised roots poking out of the ground, creating a quite sizeable niche between them. This gave her an idea. She turned back towards the field, unsheathing one of her daggers and swiftly cut a portion of the high grass. She tucked the dagger back in its sheath and picked up the hay, moving back towards the mouth of the tree. After stuffing the hole and contently admiring her handiwork, she toppled onto the grass exhaustedly. She removed her coat, only to use it as a feeble blanket and curled into a ball. She thought that due to the cold sleep was a long time coming, but after only a few minutes her eyelids started to droop and she was whisked away into a dreamless sleep.

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Even though the rain had let up a long time ago, that didn't stop Phinks' constant grumbling and trivial whining. When he was about to let loose another string of profanities, Feitan had had enough. He discarded the filter on his emotions and the effect was immediate. The dark aura of sakki which rolled off of him in suffocating waves and the cold, angry glare he pinned his companion with made Phinks' mouth clamp shut instantly, although his eyes were also taking on a dangerous glint. Before it could escalate further, however..

"No fighting between members." Shalnark reprimanded the two with a condescending tone. He sent Feitan an apologetic smile which was received passively.

"Che." Phinks snorted and looked away.

They had slowed their pace somewhat after two hours of perpetual exertion. The initial excitement that came with the hunt had slowly evaporated and now they were left on edge. The scenery wasn't much entertainment either: grass, grass, a tree, higher grass, two rocks, more grass. They hadn't passed a single town, let alone something smaller – like a settlement.

Phinks groaned, making Feitan's eye twitch ever so slightly before his mask was back in place again.

"I got to hand it to this woman, she sure can run. Do you think she's aware of us?" Phinks asked skeptically.

Shalnark pondered on it for a moment before answering. "No.. I don't think she is. There is only a single trail and she isn't going in circles or doing anything else to mislead possible pursuers. I believe she was confident that the bodies wouldn't be found immediately not to mention the weather was bad enough to wash away any possible trace rather quickly." He analyzed. "She has been pushing herself pretty hard though, I have to admit." He gave a wry smile. "She kept her pace as fast as or faster than us the whole time, but she should have reached her limit by now."

As soon as those words left his mouth, Feitan suddenly dashed forward, determined glint in his eyes. Shalnark gave a victorious grin.

"I guess we have her."

They followed Feitan's lead, swiftly gliding through the grass. Making a sharp turn, they came upon a stream and seeing that the rock replaced grass there, they proceeded to run alongside it. A harder ground was a much preferable surface to run on. After making steady progress in their endeavor, a rather massive, old tree came into sight. Shalnark gave an eager nod to his companions as they meticulously closed in on their target. They took in their surroundings, fully alert for any possible threats and cautiously made their way towards the base of the tree. Not seeing anyone though, Phinks sent the others a curious glance, expression questioning. Shalnark motioned for him to stay quiet and soon enough they picked it up with their heightened senses. Soft sounds of breathing were heard and it took them no time to pinpoint the location of the sounds in question. They silently peered behind the tree, avoiding the knots of roots spiking out from the elevated ground. There, between the roots in a hollow gap, lay a girl, who was curled into a ball and sleeping soundly, as if no dangerous criminals were there, staring at her incredulously.

Her distinct white hair aside, the first thing they noticed was that she was of small stature. Her sleeping position didn't do her much justice either – she really did look like a child; the way she was. She was even shorter than Feitan, although not by much. She donned a simple white, half sleeve dress shirt, buttoned neatly to the neck, a chocolate colored vest and a red neck tie, which was aptly tucked into the vest. She wore short, maroon colored, baggy pants. They ran a black, vertical stripe pattern and they had numerous deep pockets – most likely to hide a variety of different things ranging from hidden weapons to stolen goods. To complete the outfit, she had on a pair of thigh high dark brown, leather boots, which were fastened to her shorts with thick straps. The crumpled fabric she was hugging with both her arms and legs was probably her cloak. They also took note of her weapons; the visible ones at least. She had two holsters on her back, housing two identical pair of daggers and another one, of different kind, on her left thigh, which was currently empty. Last, but not least, there seemed to be some kind of curious, intricate scope-half-goggle over her right eye.

Whatever they were expecting, _this_ was not it. She was completely unguarded, fragile-looking and small. Disappointment was creeping up on their faces, some more adept at concealing their expressions than others. Phinks was not. Despite all his experience in the field, he could not wipe off the blank, dry look from his face. Even Feitan was having trouble controlling his disappointment and irritation at the _child_ , although normal people wouldn't have been able to pick up the subtle changes in his features - the irate glint in his eyes, the slight sneer at the corner of his lips.. Shalnark handled it the best, as per usual. Almost nothing ever broke his smiling poker face.

"Shal.. You positive we have the right person?" Phinks asked dubiously, his eyes slowly roaming over the girl.

"Well, her hair is white, is it not?"

Another awkward silence fell over the three spiders.

"..rld tree, _orbis regeplatanus_ , a rare flora originating from the Dark Contine.. mm.." The girl murmured softly and sighed contently. She pulled her knees closer to her chest and huddled into the cloak, searching for warmth.

Phinks' expression turned even more inane. "..the fuck?"

Feitan glared at the girl icily and then proceeded to unceremoniously shove his boot-clad foot in her face, giving her rosy cheek a not so gentle push. Phinks did his best not to roll over with laughter.

Her brows furrowed and nose wrinkled with discomfort as her eyes fluttered a few times before snapping wide open. She scrambled to a sitting position, hand rubbing her cheek. It took her a few moments to gather her bearings and put A and B together. 'A' being her hurting cheek and 'B' being the black, pointy boot. She scowled.

Feitan noted, that her eyes were one of the most beautiful shades of blue he had ever seen; warm, bright blue, like the sky on a sunny day in midsummer. He hated them. He pinned the female with one of his frostier stares. He took pleasure in the slight, involuntary flinch he caused in her, albeit it was short-lived as she stubbornly refused to lower her gaze.

"When you two have gotten over your _love at first sight_ , maybe we can move on to business?" Shalnark quipped cheerfully as Phinks snickered at the pair.

 _If looks could kill_ , Shalnark thought, when Feitan slowly turned his head their way, vein popping on his temple. Phinks tried to swallow his laughter at the situation, but ultimately failing to do so. He clutched his stomach, gasping for air and barely managed to avoid getting impaled by Feitan's umbrella while he jumped back, still snickering.

"So, to what do I owe the _pleasure_?" The woman huffed, the word pleasure sounding anything but. A faint red tinge of embarrassment colored her cheeks as she regarded the men. She succeeded in gaining their attention, although she felt a little uncomfortable under their scrutiny. These men weren't exactly your average patrons, she could tell. The way they moved their bodies – fluid movements, soft, soundless steps and barely suppressed cloud of sekki.. Their presence screamed danger. And opportunities. She licked her lips.

"You are the Savant, correct?"

Shalnark took her silence as affirmative and continued.

"We need your expertise in an, ah, endeavor. I trust you are as capable as the rumors say?"

"Is that why I awoke with a foot in my face?" She sent a baleful glare at the culprit.

"He sometimes has trouble containing his impatience." Shalnark flashed her an apologetic smile.

"Oh that I don't doubt." She grumbled, deliberately avoiding the murderous stare from the man in question. "Either way, what makes you think I am willing to assist you in your, as you so eloquently put, endeavor?"

"We weren't asking. There are.. ways to assure your cooperativeness." Feitan remarked snidely.

A shiver went down her spine at the tone of his voice. She had to shake herself to stop her thoughts going down _that_ road. There was no second meaning to what he said, she knew _exactly_ what he was implying and she made no mistake of assuming the threat was an empty one. She scowled at herself for once again getting tangled up in messes she'd much rather avoid. She should just escape, but she dismissed the thought in a heartbeat. She was still exhausted and although she wasn't exactly weak per se, these men could probably put holes in her faster than she could spell the word escape. And even if she somehow managed to liberate herself of these _suave gentlemen_ , she was sure they'd find her in no time at all. This really didn't leave her many options. Her shoulders slumped in defeat and she let out a sigh.

"So what do you want from me? And may I know the names of my clients?" She asked, lips pursed into a pout.

Shalnark grinned widely. "I'm Shalnark, the gangster you see is Phinks and the lovely gentleman you already had the pleasure to meet more.. intimately is Feitan." His grin turned a little more menacing. "We're members of the Genei Ryodan, you would be wise to keep the information henceforth to yourself."

Her eyes widened by a fraction.

"We need a person with the abilities to exorcise nen. We had one, but certain circumstances lead to him being.. indisposed. So we searched you out and would like to leave the matter in your" He gave a short pause, eyes glinting, "capable hands. This information shouldn't be too hard for you to procure I assume."

She resisted the urge to swallow nervously, instead focusing on processing the tiny bits of information they had supplied her with. She frowned. They were, and weren't asking for much at the same time. The information posed no problem, but what they more than likely wanted from her, was her to lead them to one of these people, multiple ones if the people they sought out refused cooperation and.. things went sour. This _job_ would be a lengthy, time-consuming one. She sighed dejectedly at the prospect of sharing their company for an unmeasured amount of time.

"I'm not doing this for free." She resigned miserably.

"That is of no issue, I'm sure we can agree on a fee that is fit for your services, granted that you will accomplish your part of the bargain. You will most likely be set for life." Shalnark said without missing a beat.

The girl just waved her hand impatiently. "I don't need your money. That's not how deals with me work, besides I have enough, thank you."

The men looked at her curiously.

"Let's see.." She pondered for a few moments, biting her thumbnail gently while she decided. "Alright. For the fee, there are a few things that I demand that you comply with, because otherwise this _vacation_ will be a complete waste of time for me."

Phinks raised his brow at the word 'demand', baffled. This woman was either stupid or had complete confidence in coming out of things alive. That, or she just didn't care much for living to begin with.

"First off, you will not maim or kill me in the duration of our forced proximity."

Feitan's mouth twisted into a half-smirk. "So non life threatening injuries are fine?"

"I am well aware of what I said." She snapped. "And the second thing that I desire out of this endeavor, is to unveil as much as possible about each individual of your troupe. Your nen powers, physical prowess, relations and the troupe's past exploits."

An eerie silence fell over the troupe members.

"Take it or leave it. I do not care too much for individuals and their accomplishments, but this is basically the only thing you have to offer that is of any interest to me. Unless, of course, you'd rather venture to the Dark Continent and fetch me some artifacts?" She asked with mock innocence.

Phinks scowled at her retort, while Feitan's eyes narrowed dangerously. Shalnark just sighed. They should've seen something like this coming. They didn't have much of an option and the chance was still too good to let by. Before Phinks could maul her head off and Feitan's mood became even more volatile, Shalnark took the decision in his own hands.

"We accept your terms, Savant." He replied, smile gone from his face as he was also pissed at the girl's insolence. "But I wouldn't put it past some of us, that your safety will be guaranteed after all this is over."

She just smiled crookedly, eyes cold and dark, like a deep, bottomless ocean. Suddenly she didn't look as young anymore, but much, much older.

"I won't expect any less from you. And please, Savant is such a boorish nickname. Call me Rin."

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 ** _To be continued._**

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/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

 ** _via26_** I actually didn't realize that before you pointed it out. I went on google the first thing, and I was like, wow, the dude really _has no eyebrows_. I was thinking of going back to my story and fixing that minor error in my lack of research, but thought better of it, because.. well. I'm lazy and it would make giving expressions on his face harder and uh. I'm lazy xD Maybe I can at some point turn it into a crack.

Thank you for the review though C:


	4. Crimson

**_Disclaimer._** All characters and general content belong to Togashi Yoshihiro, although I do claim ownership for my OC, Rin, and all other noncanon locations(which there will be a lot of), fights and characters I may end up creating. This fanfiction will be rated M for violence, gore and many other explicit scenes I will more than likely produce from my deranged mind.  
 **You have been warned**.

A shout out to my friend for drawing me a book cover :3 !

I had quite some trouble writing this chapter. My work has been hectic yet again and I often come home, stare at the open word file for two hours and then go to bed. And stare at the ceiling for another two before I succumb to sleep. I've been so exhausted and even though I desperately want to write (as this is my outlet for stress) I am unable to do so. Sigh.

Anyway, thank you everyone for the reviews, they have been most helpful and continue to motivate me to update faster! Please do keep me posted on any errors I make: grammatical, punctuational or otherwise. (:

I hope you are enjoying this story so far!  
Note: I'm from Europe so I use the metric system. 152cm = 5ft. Just in case I thought I'd clarify.

 **Warning**. I'm giving an explicit warning for this chapter. It isn't for the faint of heart and I suggest you take it seriously. I will not edit it out, as I have included a warning in my disclaimer from the start. This fanfiction is rated M for obvious reasons.

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 **Chapter four**  
 _Crimson_

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Rin was sure, that if guardian angels existed, hers would be the one that all of heaven laughed at: the black sheep, the dunce, the class dropout. If he really existed, he would be the most incompetent, useless, shit-for-brains angel. If he weren't, she would certainly not be in this position, of that she was sure. Or maybe she was just a hopeless case to begin with and he gave up long ago and went golfing on the fields of clouds with God? She giggled at her musings. She could feel their gazes on her back - she imagined their expressions would be rather unimpressed, disappointed. She stopped her giggling, feeling mortified. They probably thought she was mental, although coming from them it would be just a little hypocritical, seeing as they weren't exactly sane, them being most renowned criminals and all that.

It hadn't even been an hour in their company and she had already managed to show herself as the oafish person that she was. Why couldn't she, for once, look as competent as the rumors hailed her to be?

 _I wish the ground just swallowed me whole,_ she thought miserably. But lo and behold, the heavens had yet to hear her prayers and instead she felt more mud seep into her already soiled clothes. She sighed and stood up from the crater she had created from face-planting the ground with whatever dignity she had left and desperately tried to ignore Phinks' snickering. She growled and sent a baleful glare at the man, while trying to beat down the embarrassed blush on her cheeks, but one glance at the golden trio and she knew she had failed. Miserably. She let out another sigh dejectedly and continued walking on the slippery, muddy path, hoping for no repeat performance.

She was glad there was a settlement only a few hours away, because the way her filthy clothes kept rubbing against her skin made her feel rather violated. She was also glad she had insisted on leaving the navigation to her. She wouldn't go as far as to say they were completely clueless, but their sense of direction was still severely lacking. How they had found her to begin with was beyond her.

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 _After accepting her terms, a very heavy silence filled the air around them. She had expected them to fight her on the demands she had stated, at least threaten her some, yet it hadn't come. She couldn't help but feel slightly nervous from such a response. She could guess what the man, Shalnark, was thinking and it irked her to admit, that he was at least **somewhat** intelligent. She hadn't exactly said that they had to show their abilities to her and sit around the campfire, telling stories of their pasts. She had said she would **unveil** them, by herself, so technically they didn't need to do anything at all. And he realized that. Either way, they probably thought that if she found out too much, they'd just kill her off after the deal was kissed, sealed, done. Oh, and probably torture her for information until she outlived her usefulness before giving her the blissful death sentence._

 _She pressed her lips into a thin line. That was the worst case scenario, which she was well aware of. Yet even though the situation wasn't exactly favorable for her, she didn't fret all too much. These people were not the first, nor would be the last to put her into a difficult position. She had a considerable amount of time to study them while they traveled together, and she would make the most of it. And even then, if she did end up kicking the bucket, at least it was in the pursuit of knowledge. She would die at least somewhat content (even if she'd rather do it at the tender age of eighty-five while dusting her personal library)._

 _"I currently know of eight nen exorcists." She suddenly spoke up, and instantly three pairs of eyes were trained on her, the heavy silence replaced by anticipation._

 _"Out of them, at least half would rather die than help you lot." She smirked when she saw Sphinks' face contort into a sneer._

 _"As for the other four.. One is currently MIA, so I'd rather not waste my time there, he's most likely dead." She continued, thinking._

 _The spiders exchanged a look, suspecting they knew who she had meant._

 _"The remaining three are worth a shot though. I don't know their current whereabouts, but I'm sure if I get in contact with some of my, for the lack of a better word, informers, it'll be a piece of cake from there on out." She paused, biting her lip. "We should head for a bigger city, that'll be our best shot."_

 _Shalnark raised an eyebrow. "Swaldani City is less than half a day's distance."_

 _She sent him an incredulous look. "Are you daft? I'm not setting foot in there so soon after the mess I left behind. I'd like to retain my anonymity, thank you. Besides, my contacts have most likely emptied out of there after the stunt I pulled." She let out frustrated sigh, remembering the troublesome heist. "We will head east towards Zaban, it's about two weeks away on foot. The good news is that we will stay inconspicuous – everyone in these areas live with their head in the sand – the bad news is that we'll have to cross the Snare's Wastelands." She grimaced. "We'll stop at a nearby village and stock up on some supplies beforehand. If I remember correctly, the place is called Karuko and it's only a few hours walk from here. We can stay the night there since the wastelands are only a short distance from the settlement's border."_

 _Shalnark had to physically restrain Phinks from not mauling the woman, but it was oh-so-tempting to just let go. The way she was almost giving out orders and taking lead was grating even on his nerves._

 _"She said we can't maim or kill her. I'm sure she wouldn't notice a few nails and fingers missing?" Feitan suggested quietly._

 _She clamped her mouth shut for she had heard him. She looked away and glared at a rock._

 _"Thank god, I thought she'd never shut up." Phinks ground out. "Women." He said as if it were the obvious and only explanation needed._

 _"Well I'm sorry, you can lead then." She blurted out, fuming. They glared at each other for a few moments, until they both looked away, huffing like petulant children._

 _A couple of seconds ticked by until Phinks dropped the bomb._

 _"So which way is east?"_

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Karuko was a small, poor town in the middle of the Yorbian Continent, built on the western border of the Snare's Wastelands. Most of the inhabitants were farmers, hunters or craftsmen, although they weren't particularly renowned for their skill. Resources were scarce and life in general was harsh, so if one could help it, they didn't settle down in here.

The town itself was built around two hundred years ago for the sole purpose of making expeditions into the wastelands. Back in the day, it was believed that the barren land reaching from here almost all the way to the sea and Zaban, was filled with unimaginable riches known to man. Where and why that rumor started remains unknown, because the vast, dead plains were filled with anything but. The only thing, that the people found in the wastelands, was unpredictable weather, lack of shelter, food and water, and death. Soon enough, the town's purpose ceased to exist and now there was barely half a thousand inhabitants left in Karuko.

The settlement was how she remembered it from her two previous visits. It was bleak and depressing. The houses were wooden, built around the center where the town's main well resided. The buildings at the edge of the town were more sizeable and higher than the ones near the center: they were built that way to keep out the deadly winds coming from the wastelands. There used to be a wall surrounding the whole length of the settlement as well, but the passage of time hadn't been exactly kind to it and the people were just too poor to rebuild it.

As shabby as the place was, Rin was grateful. She was dying for a fresh change of clothes, a shower and warm food. Not to mention she wanted to rid herself of her _engaging_ travel companions. She could say with no hesitation at all that she loathed them. What she would give to be able to bury one of her daggers hilt-deep into Phinks' chest cavity. The man was absolutely infuriating. Shalnark was also grating on her nerves; not in the inane way Phinks did, but he managed to edge her on with his innocent sounding comments nonetheless. It annoyed her greatly how the man spoke in layers upon layers - you could never tell what he actually meant. And then there was Feitan. He was downright creepy with his sadistic tendencies. Not to mention when he popped out his Trevor Brown book that was worn out from use. Being the kind of person she was, she could appreciate all kinds and forms of art, but even she had difficulty seeing the value of the gory porn Feitan seemed to favor. The way he kept flipping through the pages with that perverse smile plastered on his face – if that wasn't disturbing, she didn't know what was.

They walked through the entrance of the town and as suspected, no one gave them more than a cursory glance. It didn't take more than ten minutes to locate the lone inn of the settlement. It was right at the center, across the well. The center was where some semblance of life happened in here, so all the businesses were aimed to please. Besides the inn there were bars, a restaurant, the market and a shady looking building that suspiciously resembled a brothel.

As they eased the creaking, wooden door open, a soft jingle of a bell resounded in the inn. The reception room was a dimly-lit, small, but comfortable area lined with plush sofas and armchairs. The whole breadth of the floor was covered with a soft, red carpet and numerous oil paintings decorated the mahogany walls. At the end of the room, there was a large wooden table, which was used to receive the guests of the house. Left of it was an ornate staircase, reaching to the second floor. They barely had to wait a minute, before the matron of the establishment came bustling through the door behind the counter. She was an elderly woman donning a simple, brown dress garb.

"How can I help you?" She asked, smiling kindly.

"May I have a single-bed room please?" Rin inquired, popping a handful of coins on the counter. The hostess counted the money on the table and then proceeded to hand her a copper key.

"Here you go darling. The room is up the stairs, fourth door on the right." The woman gestured towards the stairs with her hand.

"You know, you could've taken a room with more beds. No need to be _that_ bitchy." Phinks commented, smirking.

Rin turned and stared at the man with a look of complete disbelief. "Oh no. This is _my room_. I am sure you are more than capable of acquiring your own." She said icily, before stomping up the stairs and locking herself in her quarters.

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Shalnark gave the confused matron an apologetic smile. "We'd like a room for three."

"Yes, of course." The lady said quickly. She counted the jennies Shalnark had thrown on the counter before handing him a key similar to Rin's.

"Second room on the left." She said automatically before turning her attention to Phinks and lowering her voice. "And you! You ain't getting any younger, you know! Make up with your girl!" She admonished him reproachfully. She then turned on her heel, muttering something about youngsters these days. The woman promptly exited the reception room via the door behind the counter, leaving the bewildered men behind in an uncomfortable silence.

"So.. Phinks-" Shalnark begun, voice innocent.

"Not one word." Phinks warned, growling. He yanked the key out of Shalnark's grasp and made his way to the staircase. He sent his companions another 'I-fucking-dare-you' glare before heading up. Their expressions stayed impassive - not counting the hint of mirth in their eyes - until Phinks was out of sight and they were relatively safe from flying objects. Then Shalnark broke into a fit of giggles and even Feitan's mouth had quirked into a half-smirk, eyes twinkling with amusement. It took a few moments for Shalnark to cease his snickering and to school his features, before following Phinks upstairs with Feitan in tow. They entered the room assigned to them and gave it a quick once-over. Feitan's nose scrunched in disdain. The room paled in comparison to the lavish reception hall. It was a small, cramped area, and not in a cozy way. It housed two – _yes, **two**_ – beds, a single and a double, a narrow wooden closet and a desk. The window at the far end was small and rimmed by curtains that had seen one too many washes. The word shabby described the room perfectly.

Since, obviously, Phinks had taken the only single bed of the room, Shalnark grudgingly plopped on the remaining bed and stretched his legs.

"One of us should keep an eye on the girl. She cannot be trusted not to escape when the opportunity arises." Shalnark said as he unzipped his vest and threw it at the foot of the bed.

"You're _kidding_ , right?" Phinks complained. "I ain't spending more time with that horrid brat."

Shalnark sighed. "No choice then, we will decide it with a coin toss-"

 _Clack._

They both looked up just in time to see Feitan's cloak flicker right before he slammed the door shut after himself.

"I guess that's taken care of then." Shalnark quipped cheerfully.

"You sure it's wise to leave her to Feitan?" Phinks asked skeptically.

"What? Are you worried for the girl?" Shalnark teased, making Phinks growl at him.

"Obviously not. All I mean is that we actually need her alive and kicking, not dissected beyond recognition." He snapped.

Shalnark chuckled. "Give him some credit. We need her to help Chrollo. He wouldn't hurt her." His smile turned just a little malicious. "Much."

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Rin hummed as she toweled her damp hair. She exited the small bathroom and entered her not much bigger quarters. Throwing the now wet towel on the bed, she started rummaging through her bag, searching for a spare change of clothes. She scowled in dismay when she realized she only had a single garment. She must've left the rest back in Swaldani in her hurry to escape.

Her only clean article of clothing was a very short, white silk dress. It resembled a nightdress with those thin straps instead of sleeves and the way it hugged her chest a little too tightly. The dress fell freely from right under her bosom, reaching barely mid-thigh. The dress was much too short and way too revealing for her tastes. She grimaced as she pulled it on, smoothing out the wrinkles. She vaguely wondered where she had gotten this particularly vile piece of clothing, before remembering that it had been a gift from one of the men who had tried to court her. Her scowl deepened. Rin shook her head to diverge herself from that line of thought to avoid ripping the dress into shreds before her own clothes dried. She plopped on the bed and pulled on her leather boots. Not wanting to see her reflection, lest she confirmed she looked like a hooker, she made her way out of her room, down the staircase and out of the inn.

The square was bustling with townsfolk now that it was past afternoon and nearing evening. One could hear people talking and shouting animatedly, children laughing with delight and dogs and other various animals making their own respective sounds. Rin walked around aimlessly, ignoring the stares as she was used to them. She went off the main street, entering a more empty and rural part of the town. Suddenly she came to a halt, thinking. Not a moment later she turned on her heel and walked off with more determination in her step. After zigzagging for a couple of minutes she stopped at the entrance of a rundown shop. She opened the paneled door and let herself in.

The scent of metal and gunpowder assaulted her senses the moment she entered the vicinity. The walls of the shop were lined with weapons of different kind, ranging from swords to guns. Different kinds of armor and protective gear hung in the racks and there was even a shelf for the maintenance supplies. For a small workshop the variety of products was quite extensive. She let her eyes wonder through the room, looking for the weapon she came for.

"What is a young girl like you doing in a store such as this?" A snappy voice resounded from the other end of shop. Rin slowly turned towards the sound, noting it belonged to an old, disgruntled man. He didn't have the kindest eyes.

"Even girls like me need a means to protect themselves if the men are incompetent." She countered.

The shopkeeper narrowed his eyes and snorted indignantly. "What do you want?"

 _Damn sexist pig._ Rin swallowed the need to grind her teeth. "I'm looking for a sturdy bo-staff that can be separated into three segments. My previous one broke."

"Do you even know how to use one?" He scoffed. Getting no outward response from the girl, he reluctantly motioned towards left with his hand. "Pick whichever you want."

Rin stepped towards the motioned weapons and began going through them. Ten minutes, a dozen weapons and a handful of inopportune comments from the shopkeeper later, the girl left the store with her new staff in hand. The shopkeeper had not been happy to let her have the weapon as this bo-staff seemed to be one of the few gems of the store, but money was money.

The staff was much longer then she – well then again, most things were, considering she was a measly meter and a half tall.

 _152cm!_ She corrected herself vehemently.

The weapon was mainly carved out of dark chestnut, the ends being white oak. It had no decorative patterns – it was simple, clean, _elegant_. She was rather pleased with her purchase.

She took to wondering the small town again, not wanting to go back to the claustrophobic room. She bought a steamed bun from a street vendor, savoring the taste as she ate it slowly. While she wondered and purchased things for her impending trip, the sun slowly began to set as the night rolled in. Seeing as it was darkening by the minute, Rin gave an internal sigh and slowly begun to make her way back to the inn. She didn't know where exactly she was – she had let her feet carry her aimlessly – but the buildings around her seemed rather high, meaning she was near the border. Suddenly a loud noise jolted her out of her thoughts and immediately switched her fight mode on. She strained to hear any other sounds and let her eyes skim the surroundings. Not finding anything out of place, she almost lowered her guard, but another loud bang came from the nearby alleyway. A metal can rolled out of it, making a few thuds as it fell on the street, before finally stopping. Rin let out a breath.

 _Probably just some strays._

She was just about to leave when a muffled cry echoed from the same alley, making her stop dead in her tracks. The cry had been distinctly female. She didn't think twice as she spun around and in a flash she was there. What she saw there made her eyes widen and body turn rigid. Her expression was a mixture of shock, horror and disgust. The female she had heard lay on the ground covered in small cuts, bruises and blemishes. Her eyes were bloodshot, rimmed with more fresh tears as they mixed with the blood that trickled from her nose and mouth. What made Rin's anger boil the most, however, was that her clothes had been ripped to shreds and the injuries on her lower body left no room for argument as to what was happening. The broken female tried to scramble away from the three men in the alley just as one of them reached out and grabbed her hand, yanking her towards him and slamming her back to the wall.

"My turn then." He smiled cruelly and begun unzipping his pants, his intentions more than clear.

The movement broke Rin out of her shock and she _growled_. Everyone in the passage snapped their eyes towards the sound. The temperature in the air had dropped significantly as Rin stepped into the alley, eyes no longer a warm blue, but a freezing white. The men clearly didn't sense the imminent danger.

"Well you don't look half-bad either there, girl. Once we're done with this filth, you could –"

He couldn't finish the rest of the sentence however, as he let out a blood-curling scream. He was holding onto what had once been his hand, but now all that was left was a bloody stump from where blood kept oozing out more and more by the second. His accomplices backed away, horror in their eyes at the bloody scene.

 _Oh? So **now** you are scared?_ Rin thought with morbid satisfaction. She glanced at the men, a malicious smile playing on her lips. They had nowhere to run; the alley was a dead end and she was blocking the only exit. Her eyes fell on the terrified female.

"If your feet can carry you, I suggest you get out of here." Rin told the woman. It took her a couple of moments to register what the whitehaired girl had said, but then wasted no time to scramble on her feet and bolt out of the alley while clutching her nearly naked body.

Rin's eyes once again fell on the vile men. Since the shock had worn off, they were now looking at her with undiluted anger.

"We will fucking kill you, you fucking whore!" One of them shouted.

Rin cocked her head on the side. "It appears we agree on something." She flickered out of their sight and appeared in front of the man who had spoken. "But it won't be me dying." She gripped her newly acquired bo-staff in her hand. The men stared at it, horrified expressions on their faces, as ice started to crawl over the weapon in vines, creating a frozen blade at the tip. She raised the staff and before the man in front of her could even blink, she ran it through his throat, effectively severing his windpipe. He coughed blood once, before his eyes became unseeing and he fell back, lifeless.

As their comrade fell, one of the remaining two panicked and tried to run past Rin while screaming, but the attempt fell flat as she spun around and slashed the man across his back, leaving a deep, fatal cut. She turned towards the remaining male, eyes glowing white. He had fallen on his ass and was trying to scramble backwards, face pale with dread.

"H-h-have mercy!" He pleaded, tears flowing down his face.

Rin stared at him, face cold and emotionless. "I'm sure the woman begged as well." The man's eyes widened in horror as she raised her weapon and with no hesitation swung it down, killing him.

She stood there for a couple of moments, staring blankly at the scene she had created. She then turned on her heel to exit the blood-covered alley. She was almost out of the passage when she stopped again, eyes narrowed and nose scrunched in disdain. Feitan stood there, a couple of paces from her, leaning against the wall at the mouth of the alley. His eyes were twinkling with something akin joy. Determined to ignore the man, she began walking once more only to be disturbed again.

"Crimson becomes you.. _Rin_."

Her eyes widened by a fraction, before a scowl marred her features. The tone that had laced his voice as he had said her name was absolutely vile, disgusting. He had _enjoyed_ seeing her kill. He was absolutely delighted at the scene she had created and was immensely relishing in the fact that she was covered in blood. The smile that graced his features was dangerous on many levels. She felt like a deer caught in headlights. She knew if she stayed near him any longer, there would be no guarantee he wouldn't kill her. Not wanting to confirm her fears, she walked past him and hoped he wouldn't come after her. He didn't. She didn't dare look back. All she could think about, was getting back to the inn, to the relative safety of her small room.

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 ** _To be continued._**


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